Process of manufacturing sulphites



(No Model.

UGEN BARON RITTER &,C. K-ELLNER.v

PROCESS OP MANUFAG No. 338,558,

TUBING SULPHITES.

ze? ji UNITE STATI-:sY

.afrit EUGEN BARON RITTER AND CHARLES KELLNER, OF GOERZ, AUSTRIA- HUNGARY, ASSIGNORS TO `WILLIAM A. RUSSELL, TRUSTEE, OF LAW- RENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SULPHiTE".

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 338,558, dated March 23, 1886.

Application filed March 2, 1885.

fr' all whom it may] concern:

Be it known that we, EUGEN BARON RIT- TER and CHARLES KELLNER, subjects of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, and residents of Goerz,in the Empire of Anstria-Hungary,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Manufacturing Sulphites, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to the manufacro ture of sulphites, and has for its object the provision of a novel process,whereby sulphites are formed continuously and simultaneously with the production of the pure sulphurous acid, which combines with the desired bases.

In an application of 'even date herewith we vhave described several of the processes ordi- '-narily employed for the production of these zsolutions, and have described at length the apparatus by means of which the present pro- 2o cess is best carried ont, and in Letters Patent of the United States, granted to us the 27th day of October, 1885, No. 329,216, we have described and claimeda process for producing a solution of bisu-lphites, wherein the solution z5 of sulphurous acid and water is brought into 'contact successively with the bases respect:

ively contained in separate chambers.

In the process which we are about to describe, and which forms the subject-matter of 3o' our present invention, several distinct steps' are taken, and each of these steps, it may be remarked,v is in itself a novel and useful improvement in the general process of treating and purifying sulphurous acidwithout rel gard to the uses 'to which such lacid may be put, the process in its entirety, however, consisting in the combining of thesuccessive steps for the attainment of a certain definite result.

The process asa whole is adapted for the Y 4o-continuous produetionrpf sulphurQus-acid solutions or salts'in amo-r erfect, Xpeditious, and economical manner than hasl een heretofore possible, and'certain of the steps of the process are adaptedfor the reel iming of sul '45 phurous-acidsolution already us din the manufacture of cell1lose and,combinedl with or held in suspension in steam.

Serial No. 157,5205. (No model.)

Our invention consists in a certain novel process of purifying, filtering, and coollng suA phurous acid and subsequently combining such acid with water and an alkaline hase for the production of a sulphite solution.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated an apparatus adapted to carry out the novel process which forms the subject-matter of our present invention, and we will nonr procced to describe the same.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section ofthe entire apparatus; Fig. 2, a cross-section of one of the cooling-pipes through which the gas passes, and Fig. 3 a plan view of the cooling apparatus.

This apparatus consists of three separate parts which are connected together' by suitable pipes and operate i-n conjunction to produce the desired result. These parts are a liltering apparatus, an apparatus for cooling the gas, and the apparatus for the production of' Athe, solution. l. v .v p

In the drawings, A designates a chamber d1- vded into two compartments by a division- Wall, A', which has ain-opening, AA2, at top for the passage of the gas from one chamber to another. Near the-bottom of the rst chamber is arranged a grating, A, upon top of which is placed a layer ofanysubstance not acted upon by sulphurous acid-such as coke,broken china or earthenware, granite, or quartzand upon top of this layer is placed a layer of limestone, upon top of the limestone a layer of .the substance iirstvused, and so on alternate] y until the chamber is iilled up to the top of the dividing-wall A. A pipe, a, leads from the bottom or near the bottom of the second sired base takes place. 'Y Thevpi'pes B' B vB all communicate directly with the inlet-pipe a and outlet-pipe b',- and each of them is provided with small diagonal pipes bz b2, Fig.

' 3', communicating at each end withthe water which surrounds the pipes Bf B B and serving to divide and mix the. gas passing through the' pipes B B B', and to afford vadditional gas` passing through the pipes B in opposite direction Ato the passage of the Water through the tank, leaves the cooling apparatus at or about the same temperature as that of the water'.

Referring now to the upper portion of the figure, which illustrates the apparatus for bombin'ing the cooled and purified sulphur-ousacid gas with the desired base and liquid, it will be observed -that we lemploy four boxes or tanks, C D FMF, of similar construction.

T heboxesare'made,preferably,ofwood,andare adapted to contain the limestone, dolomite, or

other alkaline base, and'also the waterwhich is employed to formthe solution. Each of the boxes has a hopper, d, having a lid, d', and a gate, d, which hoppers contain a supply of the base, whence the boxes CAD E F may be "replenished from time to time, as required,

without interrupting the continuity of the process of the formation of the solution.

' *Gratings E Fi E3 E* are fixed near the bottom of each of thetanks C DE F, forming supplemental perforated bottoms to the same, and

'p upon top of these grat-ings is placed the ma which thel gas is drawn and forced through terial which is to form the base of the solution. Beneath each of the gratings E El E l* is placed a perforated coil of pipe, F F2 F3 F2 into which the gas is forced in succession, and

from whence it passes up through the-gratings.

G designates a gas-'pump' or other equivalent forcing and drawing apparatus, by means of the entire apparatus, as will be presently de` scribed.

NVe have shown the tanks@ .D E F as being arranged two above and two below a horizontal line, and we prefer this arrangement for the number o1" tanks shown; but the relative number of tanks and their arrangement'may be varied to any degree without departure from the spirit of our invention. A reservoir for the reception of the solution is provided, and is connected to the bottom of the tank (l by a pipe, e, a pump, e', serving 'to elevate the solution to said reservoir. y ,The apparatus being charged with the requisite materials and the gas-pump G put in motion or operation, the gas is drawn from the pyritesfurnaee or other generator into the gh 'owers of sulphur, arsenic acid, &c,is depoited first compartment of the chamber A, and, aseend-ing through the limestone and. coke 'e upon the coke or broken stone and the sul- 7o phuric acid is absorbed by the limestone, which latter'remains active for a long time, 'as each atom o'f the sulphuric acid uniting with the limestone sets free one atom of carbonio acid',v by reason of which the sulphate coating b e- ,75 comes extremely porous. After passing through therst compartment the gas, n'ow freed from dust and sulphuric acid, passes over the division-wall A', and, descending through the second compartment, goes to the 8o cooling apparatus through pipe a. After passing th rough the cooling apparatus the gas- 'emerges through the pipe b. Said pipe eX- tends up above the level of the top ofthe tank C,and is bent down alongside of thetank and enters the same below the grating E,an d is connected to or made continuous with 'the perforated `and coiled pipe F', so as to cause, the gas to be distributed evenly throughout ,-the tank.- The gas after passing up through 9o the alkaline earth orother substance on top of the grating E and through the solution already inthe tank passes olf through a pipe, 2,.which leads from the top of the tank C toy the coiled pipe F2 in thesecond tank, D. The 95 pipe 2 before entering the tank Dis led up above the level ofthe top of said tank and down again, so as to form a Water-trap, and Y, thereby prevent the liquid lcontents of said tank from passing back through the pipendl mi;

the same arrangement is made with the other gas-pipes, 3, 4, and 5, and for` the saine pur-v` pose. After leaving the tank D the gas proceeds by Way of a pipe, 3, to the gas-pump G, and leaving the pump G through pipe 4 enx05 ters at the bottom of thethird tank, E, where it is distributed by the coil F3 and yarises through the -grating E3 and the contents-ofthe tank E. After passing through the tank l,

E the gas passes to the tank F through pipe I I o 5, and after passing through the tank F in the, same manner as through the. other tanks, the residual gases-such as nitrogen and carbonicl the gas forms the desired solution, takes the y opposite course through the tanks to that of the gas entering the fourth tank, F', 4through a pipe, y. It passes down over the dolomite or other substance in the tank and through the 12o perforated bottomer grating Et, `lls the tank-v and passes yout through a pipe, h,' which is i provided with a suitable valve, h', to the tank E. Entering the tankE at the top the waterA passes down through the same and is led from y "the bottom of this'tank to the top=of vthe'sec'- ond tank, D, by way of a. diagonal pipe, fi.;

Y Passing down through the 'tankD the water goes to the 'tank C by way of the pipe k, and n passing through this tank it nallly emerges 13oA in the form of the desired solution by way of a pipe, e, through which itis led to the reservoir H. Valves or cocks are provided at intervais in the water-pipes, so as to regulate the flow of the water.

it will be noted that the gas passes through each of the tanks in succession from bottom to top, and that the water pursues the opposite course. The process being a continuous one, there is no necessity for removing the alkaline earths or other substances from the tank.

Vhen desired or deemed expedient, the contents of tanks may be removed and replaced through the hoppers d.

The apparatus is exceedingly simple in construction and operation, and renders easy and expeditious the economical production of the desired solution.

Fromthe foregoing description of the construction and operation of the apparatus it will be observed that there are three principal steps in the entire process, and that these several steps are pursued in succession to accomplish the desired end. XVe do not, however, wish to limit -ourselves to the carrying ont of the entire process, as some portions of it are novel inventions capable of application to other purposeswllhese steps may be said to consist in, first, drawing or forcing the sulphurous-aeid gas directly from the apparatus wherein it is generated and passing it through the ltering-cliamber, where it is freed from arsenic acid, flowers of' sulphur, and sulphuric I acid; secondly, in passing the filtered and purified gas through a cooling apparatus where in its temperature is reduced, thirdly, in passing the cooled and purified gas through a chamber where it is combined with water and anialkaline base. We can, perhaps, show more clearly the fact that each of these steps is in itself' a novel and useful process by describing briefly the manner in which they may be combined with other processes or other steps in the process of manufacturing solutions of sulphurous acid. For instance, in the manufacture ot' sugar, where it is desired to submit the sugar-liquor to the action of sulphurous acid, the first two steps of the process may be advantageouslycarried out- 't'. e., the filtering and cooling of the sulphur tion of the apparatus is necessary.

ousacid gas-and the latter may then be led directly to' a tank or tanks containing the sugar-liquoiz Another instance illustrating the utility of a portion of the entire process is where sulphurous acid is to be regained from steam in which it is held in suspension after it has been used in digesting wood-fiber for the manufacture ofpaper-pulp. ln this case the filtering and cooling process, as carried on where the 'sulphurous acid is brought directly from the generating apparatus, is unnecessary, for the reason that the acid held in suspension in thc steam is free from the sulphuric acid, Src., which accompany it when brought direct from the pyrites-furhace or other generator'.

n the reclaiming process a slight modifica- In the drawings we have shown this modification. On the left-handside of the tank C in the drawings is a tank, K, having an inlet-pipe, Z, andan outlet-pipe, Z. Said tank is form'ed with double sides and bottom, forming a waterspacc, within which is coiled a lead pipe, L, through which the mixed gas and steam pass. rlhe space between .the double walls of the tank is kept filled with water', which is constantly changing, entering at the pipe Z and passing out through the pipe Z. The gas and steam take the opposite course, entering at the top ofthe tank and passing out in liquid form at the bottom.

The pipe L is provided with a suitable stopcoek, m, by means of which communica tion cut oft' when the reclaiming process 1s not being carried on. The pipe b, leading from the cooling-pipes B B' B', is provided with a stop-cock, b3, as also the various pipes for the conveyance of water through the tanks .C D E F.

ri`l1e rationale of the process carried on by means of the above-described apparatus is .as

.reduced in temperature, so that when it comes in contact with the alkaline bases in the tanks C l) ld F there will be no danger of the formation of undesirable compounds. Passing through the tanks C l) E F, the gas combines with the alkaline base therein and forms a salt, which is immediately dissolved in the water which passes through said tanks in opposite direction. The Iprocess may be carried on continuously by renewing the alkaline base or rcplenishing it from the hoppers on top of the tanks.`

NVhere the process is confined-to the reclaiming of sulphurous acid held iu suspension in steam, the filtering and cooling steps in the process are dispensed with, and instead the combined gas and steam 'are condensed in the vessel K, the water of condensation combining with the solution in the tank C, and the sulphurous-acid gas now passing through the several tanks and combining with the bases, as before described.

' l [aving described our invention, we claim-` l. ln the manufacture of sulphites, the herein -describcd process ol" purifying sulphurous-acid gas previous to combining it with a base, consisting in passing the gas through a solid material which will combine with the sulphurie acid held in suspension in Such gas. p

2. l'n the manufacture of sulphites, the

IOC

process of' filtering and purifying sulphurousI as our'inyention we have signed ourjrnames, xo

acid preparatory to making solutions-of the in presence of two'witnesses, this 20th day y'of same, consisting in passing the sulphurous January, 1885.'

acid through ank solid materialwhioh will combine With sulphuric acid, and a solid material adapted to interrupt the passage of dry 1 particles, andthen cooling the acid, substan- Witnesses:

tially as described. v GEORG MARTIN,

In testimony that we claim the foregoing JOHANN LUrrTM'AmI,v Jr. 

